Folders lost during install

[csi_isilog]

Hello, 

I've created a new project (Basic MSI Project) which install 3 web-applications, somes executable and services.
This project is used through Azure DevOps builds every day to create a build which is deployed automatically on a VM.
The Azure DevOps build, is compiling 6 .NET solutions and use an internal software to build 7 vb6 project (maybe more). Each build is packaged in the Installshiel project.
Every deployment create a log using verbose argument (ex.: setup.exe /v"/l*vx \"C:\[uniqueId].log\"").

It has been working fine for while, but a few days ago, a member of my team told me that our website wasn't working anymore.
After investigation, I found that 2 folders were missing, and some dlls were not updated.
I installed the same build on my computer and the 2 missing folders were there...weird... I installed the same build on a new VM and yet again everything was OK.
Then I tried to recreated the same condition as our automatic deployment (without DevOps), so I installed an old build and upgraded it with a newer version and then the two folders were missing.
I installed the same build using verbose argument, and after reading logs I can't find any clear indication of the problem.
I compared logs between an old version which works and this version and during the step "InstallValidate" I found that some components are like that :
- Component: _E2159A4280BFE18906ABAC02CFA124BA; Installed: Local; Request: Null; Action: Null
or
- GestionBase; Installed: Advertise; Request: Reinstall; Action: Reinstall
or
- Component: ShortCuts_GestBase; Installed: Absent; Request: Null; Action: Null

Usually, components look like :
- Component: _C6C88417653E75DB81A532B17590982F; Installed: Local; Request: Local; Action: Local

I don't really get it why some components are "Absent" , or "Advertise" and need "Reinstall" or have no action/request.
I'm not sure if the problem is related to this, but I guess it was.

Since I began this diagnostic, I changed some things :
- I changed components properties :
- Languages : "English, French" to "Language Independant"
- .NET Scan at build : "Dependencies and Properties" to "None"
- Shared : "Yes" to "No"
- Reevaluate condition : "Yes" to "No"

Not every component were modified.

I can't post logs since it weight 50Mo and some info may be confidentials, but I can post some pieces.

Does anyone have any idea what can cause this ?

[banna_k]

Hi @csi_isilog ,

 It looks like this problem comes after upgrade,

see the file versions are updated to replace during the upgrade.

And also check the Microsoft rules for component and files for windows installer

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/msi/what-happens-if-the-component-rules-are-broken

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/msi/file-versioning-rules

If the above links are not helping, just add a remove file table entry for the folders and files which are not getting replaced.

https://community.flexera.com/t5/InstallShield-Knowledge-Base/Deleting-a-File-or-Folder-During-Install-or-Uninstall/ta-p/3925

[csi_isilog · Accepted solution]

Thanks for your answer, but I found the problem's origin.

Install logs indicated an issue with a dll, which made me look for change around this.

One of the website application got a dll update, but another project of the .NET solution building the web-application had the same dll in another version. Azure DevOps build marked this as a warning and no one correct it right away...

I don't really understand why this dll cause that kind of issue, but after correcting this, install work fine.